Freezing tray



Oct. 28, 1952 F. w. SAMPSON FREEZING TRAY 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1949 INVIN To); fRfDfB/LW W. SAM/ 50 MM... v HAS A TTWZNE Oct. 28, 1952 F. w. SAMPSON FREEZING TRAY 2 SIIEETSSHEET 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1949 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREEZING TRAY Frederick W. Sampson, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application August 6, 1949, Serial No. 108,942

4. Claims. (01. s2 s.5)

This invention relates to portable freezing trays adapted for use in household refrigerators and the like.

The general object of this invention is to provide an efiicient and economically made mechanically operated freezing tray from which the frozen ice blocks may be very readily harvested by mechanical means without the aid of water this invention include the following.

The removable grid is of such simple structure that its cost of manufacture is estimated to be even less than the cost of making the same size of the ordinary egg-crate form of melt-out grids.

The ice-loosening operation may be readily performed by using most any handy kitchen utensil such as a knife, fork, spoon, or any other ordinary tool or metal piece several inches in length and having an end of such narrow width that it can be inserted in the gap at the upper edge of each cross wall of the grid and used as a small prying tool to slightly flex the cross walls. Or if so desired the thumb may be used to flex the outer corners of the cross walls without the use of any prying tool at all.

In the form of the invention where a special prying tool is provided the ice-loosening operation is surprisingly easy clue to the high multiplication of the hand-applied force to flex each cross wall. The special prying tool cannot be inserted in the cross wall gap in the wrong direction or at the wrong end of the tray since it will operate equally well With the tool handle extending in either direction from the cross wall, hence this operation is practically fool-proof.

The ice blocksare loosened from the grid one at a time rather than two or more at each loosening effort. Thus all the manually applied effort at any one instant is expended toward loosening only one ice block, which of course lessens the effort required. Also when using this ice tray wastage of ice blocks is unnecessary since only the exact number of ice blocks desired at'the moment need be removed and the pan and grid with its remaining ice blocks still in place may be returned to the cold compartment for future use.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ice tray made according to this invention, the removable grid being in freezing position in the pan. Shown in dot-dash lines is a kitchen knife being used to flex the lower half of the first cross wall forward to loosen the ice block in front of same.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Figs. 4, and 5 illustrate a modified form'of the invention and the use of a special prying tool therewith to loosen the bonded ice blocks. Fig.

4 is a partial plan view with the special tool in position to flex the endmost cross wall. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the special hand tool shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on 1ine 1-1 of Fig. 6. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral It designates a one-piece somewhat flexible pressed metal pan having inclined side walls 8 and end walls 9. The end walls Bare preferably inclined as illustrated at a greater angle than the side walls 8 in order to permit the two endmost ice blocks (at either end of the pan) to be more easily cammed upwardly along said end walls 8 during the ice block harvesting operation, as hereinafter described. The grid of this invention may be advantageously used with any type of pan, metal or nonmetal, by first removing the .pan from its frozen contents (including the grid solidly embedded in the solid i-ce cake), however when the grid is used with the illustrated flexible metal pan having a waxed or other known water repellent surface it is not necessary to first loosen the pan from its frozen contents before the grid operated to harvest any de-/ sired number of ice blocks.

The grid comprises a main longitudinal wall H and a series of cross walls 12 spaced apart along said main wall II to outline two rows of ice blocks. Main wall II has a series of slots [3 in its lower portion, and extending thru its lower edge (see Fig. 2). Cross walls I2 each has a slot I4 in its upper portion and open at its upper edge (see Fig. 3). The lower continuous portions l5 of the cross walls l2 lie within the slots 13 in main wall I! (see Fig. 2) while the upper continuous portion I6 of main wall H fits loosely within the aligned slots hi in cross walls I2 (see Fig. 3) to form a nested assembly as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Cross walls 12 may be retained in their proper position upon main wall II by any suitable means, but preferably by closing in by a staking operation the metal adjacent the lower edge of slots l3 on main wall H to substantially fill a small notch cut in the bottom edge of each cross wall at point I! (see Fig. 2 and so retain the cross walls firmly in place. Cross walls 12 preferably have a sufficiently snug fit Within slots l3 in main wall H to hold the cross walls substantially at right angles to main wall II when viewed in plan (see Fig. 1), however if so desired the lower continuous portions 95 of cross walls l2 may be so fitted as to be capable of a slight displacement within slots l3 in the fore and aft direction of the grid. In all cases, however, the two divided upper portions of each cross wall which are divided by the slot l4 therein are individually free to move in a fore or aft direction alongside main wall l'l when forced to flex in such direction during the iceloosening operation as hereinafter described. Cross. walls 42 should have sufficient thickness and'rigidity to hold their shape after long use but should have sufficient resiliency to permit their upper portions 20 to be easily individually flexed forward or backward, as above described, during the ice-loosening operation.

The divided upper portions 20 of the cross walls [2 project above the top edge of main wall [I and are cut away adjacent their dividing slot M to provide a gap therebetween of such width and depth as to permit insertion therein of various'sorts of ordinary kitchen utensils such as blades, fork or spoon handles, or most any metal piece several inches in length and having a suitable end thickness of not more than about three sixteenths of an inch.

In operation, the entire tray together with its frozen contents (with the grid solidly embedded and frozen-bonded to the ice) is first removed from its cold compartment and set upon a table or other support. A kitchen utensil, such as the knife blade 26 shown in Fig. 1, is inserted in gap 25 in the endmost cross wall at either end of the tray and then swung laterally as indicated by arrow A in Fig. 1. Obviously the knife blade 26 will bear on the two opposed vertical edges of gap 25 and tend to force the lower edge 27 (as viewed in Fig. 1) forward and the opposed edge 28 rearward. Since the edge 28 is very solidly backed up with the ice immediately behind same it will be substantially anchored in place and will therefore serve as a stationary fulcrum for the prying action of knife blade 26. Thus the lower edge 21. will be forced forward (to the left as viewed in Fig. 1) with a greatly multiplied force and will flex forward the corresponding portion 20 'of the cross wall sufficiently to loosen the corner ice block X -(as indicated in Fig. 1) from its frozen bond and cam it upwardly on the inclined end wall 9 of pan 10. The knife blade 25 is then simply swung in the reverse direction to similarly loosen the other endmost ice block Y. During such reverse prying action the lower edge 2! is still. solidly backed up with the ice immediately behind same and will therefore serve as a stationary fulcrum for the reverse prying action of knife blade 26 to flex forward the edge 28 together with its corresponding portion 20 of the cross wall. Ordinarily each portion 20 need be flexed forward a maximum distance of only onesixteenth of an inch or less to fully loosen the ice block in front of same. After the first two ice blocks X and Y are loosened the knife 26 (or whatever prying instrument is being used at the time) is simply transferred to the gap 25- in the next succeeding cross wall I2 and the above described operation is repeated, and so on successively to loosen as many ice blocks as may be desired at the moment. After the two endmost ice blocks X and Y have been loosened as described above, the remaining ice blocks are more easily loosened. Often during the flexing operation on the endmost cross wall (at either end of the tray) the pan I0 is distorted bythe pressure of the ice thereupon to such extent as to loosen the pan from its entire frozen contents, which of course further facilitates all succeeding ice-loosening operations.

If so desired, the pan l0 may be initially loosened from its frozen contents as a solid unit prior to flexing even the first cross wall. This may be done simply by pressing downwardly on two diagonal corners thereof with the balls of the two hands in order to give thepan a slight torsional twist, or'the pan may be twisted or distorted in any other desired manner to cause it to peel loose from-its unitary frozen contents. After pan H3 has been loosened from its contents by any means, the grid together with both the loosened and unloosened ice blocks therein maybe either liftedfrom'pan It! or simply dumped therefrom, whereupon the loosened'ice blocks will either fall out of the grid or may be easily picked out with the fingers dependenton the looseness of fit of cross walls 12 in their slots 13. Preferably the continuous portions 15 of cross walls 12 fit tightly in their slots I 3, in which 'case the loosened ice blocks will still remain-in the grid byfriction whenthe grid is entirely removed from the pan, nevertheless such loosened ice blocks can be very easily picked from the grid with the fingers or small tongs. Thus the grid can serve as a convenient sanitary dispenser for passing ice blocks around at a party while only partially exposing the ice blocks to room temperature and hence with little melting,

and with no necessity for anyone to touch the ice blocks by hand before the ultimate consumer picks his own ice blocks from the grid.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is structurally substantially like the form described above and operates in a similar manner. In Figs. 4 and 5-the same reference numerals, but with prime marks added, are used to indicate corresponding parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The chief difference is the relatively small width of gap 25' in Figs. 4 and 5 which is adapted to receive the special prying tool (shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 for flexing the cross walls l2', instead of using various kitchen utensils as the prying tool.

The torque applied by means of the prying tool in both forms equals the useful flexing force F exerted upon the cross wall immediately adjacent one edge of gap 25 (or 25) times the distance of this force F from its fulcrum, which distance approximates the horizontal width of the gap. Therefore the smaller the gap width the less man ual torque (applied by the prying tool) will be necessary to provide a given useful flexing force F. Hence 'by reducing the width of the gap to its practical minimum a much larger usefulflexing force F is obtained with the same manual torque. Prying tool 50 has two opposed lateral notches 52 cut therein leaving a relatively narrow neck connecting the head end 53 to the handle portion 54 of the tool. In operating the prying tool the two notches 52 are set down over the opposed vertical edges 21' and 28 of gap 25' while the narrow neck 5| falls within gap 25 and preferably rests upon the surface of the ice or upon the top edge of center wall Whichever is higher. Thus the prying tool engages the gap edges 21 and 28 very close to the upper surface of the ice, which will minimize any useless springing 'of said edges 21' or 28 where they project above the ice surface and thereby materially facilitate the ice-loosening operation.

The gap 25 is preferably made as small as may be found practical and still provide sufficient strength in the small neck 5| andalso provide the required amount of useful flexing movement of the gap edges 21' and 28' when the prying tool 50 is swung horizontally to fully loosen the ice blocks from their contacting surfaces. In the form of Figs. 4 and 5 the upper edges of cross Walls |2' may be flush with the top of pan l0 and thereby economize in material, since cross walls l2 need project above the ice only about one quarter of an inch in order to provide suitable engagement of the prying tool 50 with the gap edges 21' and 28'. The handle portion 54 of tool 50 is preferably ofi'set upwardly as shown in Fig. 6 in order to permit handle 54 to be readily grasped with the fingers and be swung in a horizontal plane back and forth as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. This will individually flex forward, one after the other, the twodivided cross wall portions 20' sufiiciently to fully loosen the two ice blocks in front thereof.

If only one ice block be desired at the moment, handle 54 is swung to only one side to fully loosen only one ice block and cam it partially up the in clined end wall 9? and the loosened ice block can then be simply dumped out by inverting the tray. Prying tool 50 is preferably successively applied to each cross wall I2, starting at one end of the tray, to loosen as many ice blocks as may be desired at the moment. However it is not necessary to take the cross walls in successive order after the endmost ice blocks have been loosened. Also the loosening operation can be started at either end of the tray equally well. Also it is impossible to apply tool 50 in the Wrong direction since it operatesequally well regardless of which direction it extends from the cross wall to which it is applied. Hence the operation of this tray is substantially fool-proof.

The material used for the grid walls may be the usual metal now used in making freezing trays, namely, sheet aluminum alloy having an anodized coating thereon which has been rendered water repellant by a hard wax coating or other surface treatment, in order to minimize the frozen adherence of the ice blocks to the grid surfaces. Also the grid walls may be made from any suitable plastic material now known and used for making grid walls in freezing trays or some of the grid walls may be of such plastic material and other of the grid walls may be of suitable sheet metal.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to "be understood that might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a freezing tray comprising an elongated container pan and a removable grid for said pan, said grid having a longitudinally extending main wall and a plurality of cross walls passingthru the plane of said main wall, said cross walls each having a continuous lower portion passing thru a slot in said main wall and rigidly fixed in place therein, each cross wall having a slot therein extending upwardly from its said fixed lower portion thru its upper margin to loosely receive the upper continuous portion of said main wall, each cross wall having two opposed individually flexible lateral portions divided by said slot therein, said lateral portions having a gap therebetweenarranged for the insertion of a prying tool in said gap for flexing one lateral portion of'the cross wall forward while the opposed lateral portion serves as a stationary fulcrum for the tool.

2. In combination, a freezing tray comprising a container pan and a grid therefor for substantially dividing the frozen contents of said pan into plurality of ice blocks, said grid having a relatively long main Wall and a plurality of relatively short flexible cross walls spaced along the length of said main wall and outlining two rows of ice blocks, said cross walls each extending thru the plane of said main wall and being substantially fixed to said main wall only at its central lower portion and being divided into two opposed freely flexing laterally projecting portions by a central slot therein extending upwardly from said lower fixed portion, and a prying lever for flexing one of said two opposed laterally projecting portions at a time while the other of said two opposed laterally projecting portion! remains stationary in the ice contents of said pan.

3. In combination, a freezing tray comprising a container pan and a grid therefor for substantially dividing the frozen contents of said pan into a plurality of ice blocks, said grid having a relatively long main wall and a plurality of relativel short flexible cross walls spaced along the length of said main wall and outlining two rows of ice blocks, said cross walls each extending thru the plane of said main wall and being substantially fixed to said main wall only at its central lower portion, said cross walls each being divided above its fixed lower central portion into two opposed laterally projecting portions which are free to flex individually relative to said main wall, and a prying lever arranged to flex toward one end of said grid one of a pair of said opposed laterally projecting portions while the other of said pair remains solidly embedded in the ice to loosen only one ice block at a time, Whereby all the manual efiort on said lever at any one instant is applied toward loosening a single ice block.

4. A freezing tray comprising an elongated container pan and a removable grid for said pan, said grid having a longitudinally extending main wall and a plurality of cross walls intersecting said main wall, each of said cross walls having a continuous lower portion passing thru a slot formed in the lower portion of said main wall and rigidly fixed in place therein, each cross wall also having a slot therein extending thru its upper margin down to its said fixed lower portion to receive loosely the upper continuous portion of said main wall thereby forming a lateral other forms portion of each cross wall in each ,side of the UNITED STATES PATENTS main wall, each of said. lateral portions being- Number 7 m I flg', mdlvldually fiexlble- 2,251,461 Miner ;A11g.,5,;1-941 2,287,971 Carney June 30, 1912 FREDEPJCK SAMPSON- 5 2,297,558 Hintze Sept. 29, 42

2,452,686 Sampson -2 NOV.2, 194:8 REFERENCES D' 2,490,886 Saler Dec. 13, 1949 The following references are of record in-the FOREIGN PATENTS I V 10 Number Country Datefile of this patent: 

